Saint Lucia Honors President Tinubu with Highest National Award

• Saint Lucia has awarded Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, its highest national honour for his efforts in enhancing ties between Africa and the Caribbean.

• President Tinubu was awarded the Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCOSL) by the Governor-General of Saint Lucia, as announced on the government’s official website.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria has been awarded Saint Lucia’s highest national honour, the “Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCOSL),” in recognition of his role in fostering stronger ties between Africa and the Caribbean.

The announcement was made on Monday via an official statement shared by the Saint Lucian government on its verified X (formerly Twitter) page. The award was bestowed by the Governor-General of Saint Lucia.

“The Government of Saint Lucia is pleased to announce that the Governor-General has conferred the title of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCOSL) upon H. E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the statement read.

During his official visit to Saint Lucia, President Tinubu addressed a joint session of the island nation’s Senate and House of Assembly. In his remarks, he emphasized Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening relations with Saint Lucia, particularly in areas of economic collaboration, cultural engagement, and mutual development.

“My visit to Saint Lucia is in line with the goal of building a bridge between Africa and the Caribbean, while deepening economic cooperation and fostering mutual development. Our administration is ready to nurture and expand partnerships in trade, investment, tourism, education, and cultural exchange,” Tinubu said.

The Saint Lucian government also confirmed plans to establish formal diplomatic relations with Nigeria. Part of this diplomatic initiative includes a visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and official passports from member states of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

Additionally, Nigeria will extend educational scholarships to citizens of OECS countries and expand its Nigerian Technical Aid Corps (TAC) programme to benefit the region.